The Best Ways to use Pendant Lights in Houses with Low Ceilings

Date Published: March 7th, 2019

When you live in a home with low ceilings, your first thought when deciding on what light fixtures to get fitted most likely would not be pendant lights. However, pendant lights when done correctly can make low ceilings appear classy and make a room appear cosier.

Here are some tips to help you make pendant lighting for low ceilings work for you and your home.

Consider a shorter pendant light cord/chain length

3 Light Tabyas Industrial Style Pendant Light - £351.96

It is important to make sure when buying your pendant light that it won’t be too long for the room you’re putting it into. Pendant lights can look out of place if they’re too close to the floor and if the cord or chain is too long the light might end up in the way of other furniture. To get around this issue you should measure the exact height of your ceiling before buying your light.

Avoid the centre of a room

When you’re fitting pendant lights, unless the light is going over a table or a kitchen island it is not a good idea to fit it in the centre of the room. It is impractical to hang a pendant light in the middle of a living room with low ceilings. Not only will this obstruct the room and stop you from walking around freely, but it will also make the room appear much smaller and the ceilings even lower than they are. It is best to keep pendant lights in the corner, near a wall or hanging over something with a purpose.

Hang two lights on either side of your bed

Palla Modern Pendant Lighting - £90.97

If you want to get creative with the lighting in your bedroom a cool way to use pendant lighting is hanging one on either side of your bed to act as a bedside light.

You should pick small pendant lights or mini pendant lights when choosing the lights to put beside your bed as something too big will make the room feel claustrophobic and take away the bedside light feel from the fitting. Hanging lights on either side of the bed can add a touch of style to your bedroom.

In the kitchen

Concreto LED Kitchen Pendant Lights - £38.98

If you’re looking to hang some pendant lights in your kitchen the best place for them to be fitted is over a kitchen island. This will allow your lights to take the style of the room that much further creating an elegant and sleek look.

Over a dining table

Dover Pendant Ceiling Light from Leyton Lighting - £109.99

If you have a dining table in the corner of the room or in an area of a room that is not centred, you can use this space to hang a pendant light. This will draw attention away from the centre of the room as well as the low ceilings. It is best to go for 3 small hanging lights in a row for a dining table as anything too big will block the view of your guests or just be distracting.

Best pendant lights for low ceiling bathrooms

For low ceiling bathrooms, you can add a pendant light over the bathtub or in the corner of the room for that extra touch of sophistication. If you like the industrial and rustic look you can go with a bronze or copper pendant light shade or if you prefer a more polished and elegant look you could go with a glass vintage shade instead.

Hang in the corner of the room as a feature

Hex Chrome Industrial Style Pendant Light - £70.97

If there is one corner of your room that appears bare and you would like to add something to make the room feel cosier, more classy or even bigger, you can add a pendant light fitting. By placing a one in the corner of your room you’re allowing the light to bounce off the walls and make the room feel more spacious. Doing this can also make your room look more elegant or cosier depending on the type of light you pick.

Selecting the best pendant lights and bulbs

It is important to buy good quality pendant lights. Poor quality hanging lights come with a risk of snapping, smashing or breaking over time. Another thing you need to take into consideration is the type of light bulb you will fit into your pendant light. We recommend you use LED bulbs as they are energy efficient and last much longer than regular light bulbs. You can also add a dimmer switch to your LED pendant light to control the intensity or get a colour changing bulb to be able to instantly change the atmosphere of the room.